(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to deformable reflecting mirrors comprising metallic surface layers which are deposited on support liquids. More particularly, this invention relates to the construction of inexpensive liquid mirrors that are made of a liquid, such as water or an organic liquid, which is coated with a reflecting surface layer that is preferably metallic. The invention is particularly intended for making reflecting mirrors having controllable complex shapes that can be modified on short time notice. The reflecting mirrors according to the invention can replace far more expensive, and less versatile reflective mirrors that are currently in use and which rely on glass or metal substrates that support a reflective layer.
(b) Description of Prior Art
Optics is an enabling technology and optical elements are used in a large variety of technological applications. There are therefore a large number of possible applications for improved mirrors.
Liquid mirrors have previously been made using liquid metals such as mercury and gallium. These mirrors are monolithic and consist of a liquid metal poured over a solid container. On the other hand, liquid mirrors using colloidal particles have been proposed (E. F. Borra, A. M Ritcey, E. Artigau, 1999 “Floating mirrors” Astrophysical Journal Letters, 516, L115). The mirrors described by Borra et al., are based on a reflecting layer that is trapped at the interface between two liquids. In these mirrors, there is an air-liquid interface, a metal-liquid interface and another liquid-air interface as the light is reflected from the metallic layer back to the air. This is clearly a disadvantage.